(Strasbourg) In connection with the European Parliament voting on the new Return Regulation today, to be added to the Pact on Migration and Asylum, mgr. Mariano Crociata made a statement on behalf of the Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (Comece). In his statement, mgr. Crociata recognises “the legitimate responsibility of public authorities to manage migration, ensure the integrity of borders and combat human trafficking”. At the same time, mgr. Crociata, president of Comece, remains “deeply concerned” about aspects of the new framework that risk weakening the effective protection of fundamental rights and the dignity of vulnerable persons. “Migration is not merely a matter of procedures, statistics or border management. It concerns human beings: women, men and children, each possessing an inviolable dignity that must remain at the centre of every policy decision”, the statement says. In particular, the Bishop is most concerned about the expansion of detention, the limitations on effective remedies and appeals, and the increasing externalisation of responsibilities to third countries, noticing that they may raise “serious ethical and humanitarian questions”.